I definitely struggle with trying to do everything at the beginning of each year. By Christmas I am burnt out and all of a sudden I'm a homeschooling minimalist lol!
I’m homeschooling this year for the first year with my 4th grader and my 8th grader. It has been SO overwhelming and I have a teaching degree!!! I choose this!!! We have made some changes in our homeschool and things are a little bit better but because my kids came from a private Catholic school and have not been homeschooled their whole lives this is a big transition. I expected my 8th grader to be so much more independent than he really is. It has been a big eye opener for me. He was miserable at his old school so this is an improvement but we all have to be patient. This homeschooling gig is not going to be perfect right from the get go.
It is tough transitioning from school. Give yourself and your kids grace. And I do think that it takes kids time to be independent with homeschooling. Maybe since this is his first year, focus on 1-2 subjects and start there first (with becoming independent). I’ll tell you this too-sometimes it is harder to homeschool at first when you were a teacher and homeschooling is so different. Many of my friends went through that transition as former teachers. But in the end, it works out very well for them because they are creative and are able to adapt, and their children benefit from their knowledge as teachers. I’m praying that this year continues to improve for you every day. ❤️
I’m going into my second year homeschooling (first year for high school), and I’m really hoping for more independence this year. We’re going to do a few online video courses to help with that transition.
You always share the most relevant topics! As I've shared before, we have been homeschooling for 26 years, and I find myself always nodding in agreement with you.
Great advice! Saying “no” is freeing🥰. You’re doing a GREAT job! Would love to see a video on high school resources...curriculum/ outsource sources you’ve reviewed/ tried. Some ways we simplify: did a 4 day wk middle grades and lower...we all looked fwd to that 5th day off(it could be a Monday,Friday,etc). We don’t schedule the subjects...found it easier to start at lesson 1, next day lesson 2, then 3. We log what child did after it was completed. We listened to our child and she is doing ASL for her foreign language...everyone said Spanish and we said no,,she’s interested in this. We also invented a subject “fiber arts”...as elective. We are under an umbrella school which has been a huge help.
Thank you for this video and all the great tips on simplifying. I totally agree with you about the relationship aspect. I have 2 adult children and a sixth grader.. Oh how I wish I had learned some of these lessons you spoke about with my older children. After they're grown, you realize just how fast the time goes by and how important those relationships are. I'm so thankful for God's Grace. We all make mistakes at times in parenting and/or homeschooling. Our children need us to extend Grace to them as well.... I would love to see you write a book or some informative pamphlets about homeschooling. You offer a great deal of wisdom. God Bless...I look forward to the Middle and HS Q&A
These are really helpful! You're such a blessing to us. One way for us to simplify our homeschool is to replace or skip altogether some of the activities on the book, for example, book asks the student/s to play a game, what I do is to figure out the goal of the activity, and try to achieve that same goal in some other way, which saves us time and resources as well. God bless you.
Wow! This is one of the best homeschooling videos I’ve ever seen!! Colleen, you touched on everything I needed to hear! Thank you! Because our daughter is a 9th grader and my only one homeschooling, she does attend a co-op one day a week for a few reasons. First, it allows her to be with her peers, and second, she can take her science courses there where they do labs and I don’t have to do them at home. Finally, she only takes the minimum amount of 3 courses to cut down on the urgency of having to get the work finished and turned in by a certain time and day, although that is good practice for college. The other thing we’re doing to simplify is her World Geography course. We use Abeka because it’s one semester, but we’re going to stretch it out over the entire year. So if we don’t get to it one day because of appts, illness, or just taking a day off, it’s ok. As far as HS Q&A, credits and GPA are things I need to know about more extensively. Just for extras, I would love to see a video from You, on how to start a TH-cam channel. I’m thinking very seriously about it. God Bless! 🌺
Thank you! ❤️ I love how you have made the co-op work for you! We loved Abeka World Geography too and we also stretched it over the whole year. Thanks for the questions and video idea!
Oh man! This year I went too big and got the History and Science program with all of the bells and whistles for 1st grade. 😱 I got totally overwhelmed and cut way back to a looping schedule. We are still not doing a ton, but I feel fine with that because she is becoming a great reader and is enjoying books and being read to. ♥️ We may take two years to do the one year program. 🤷🏻♀️
These are such great ideas! I love the block schedule idea to me that sounds a lot more like public school that I remember so the classes weren't every day.
Great ideas! This is my 25th year homeschooling and I wish I’d known how to simplify better in the past. I’m very excited to move to a year around schedule next year or even this year if we can’t meet with our 1day a week Community. I committed to this year but my hearts already moved onto next. Our third daughter and her family is coming home from South Korea in 5 weeks and our oldest daughter and family will be moving in February. I’m ready to break free of commitments so that we have flexibility to spend time traveling and being with our older kids & our grandkids. 😁🙌🏻 Thanks for the video! Have suggestions on specific videos for year around scheduling. It’s one thing I haven’t done in the past 25 years.
Thank you for this video. Some of these ideas had crossed my mind but I was glad to have the validation and reasoning to stick with my plan to simplify and beat the overwhelm for the next school year.
Manipulatives...ugh! I remember when I was pregnant 5 years ago and was obsessively researching homeschooling, that word sounded strange to me. I had no idea what it meant. As soon as I knew, I right away also knew I won't like them; fussy is not my style. However, I felt I had to expose my daughter to it so I planned to not let my dislike "deprive" her. Well, I was VERY GLAD to find out that she doesn't like them either. The games that came with TGATB Pre-K Language Arts turned her off big time. I had to promise her after several lessons with different games that we will learn with the BOOK ONLY, which we just finished last week. I doubt we would have if I insisted on doing the games and hands-on stuff. She likes to separate toys/games from "homework" as she calls homeschool. She learned the basics before she was three by me counting toys/utensils, saying letter names on street/store signs, naming colors on her clothes, etc. so she's definitely been exposed to real-life manipulatives. She just doesn't want to be manipulated too much. 😄 (P.S. I found it a little challenging to hear you in this video because the background music almost drowns out your voice...or is it just me? 😄)
You touched on something I think is my biggest struggle because I'm a single home schooling and working mama. I work overnight from home so I can be with my littles. My older daughter has adhd and my youngest has hypotonia so it's a lot. I'm wondering if you have any specific activities or curriculum of just anything regarding mindfulness that could help them (and me) get control of our emotions on those days that are just a bit of a struggle. They are 7 and 4.
For us, I have always tried to put relationships over academics. So instead of trying to push through on bad days, we would slow down and try to calm everyone down, even if we only got part of the school day done. That causes stress on you for sure because you still have to check off the boxes by the end of the year, but it will all get done. I think this is probably the key to homeschooling long term-just being able to put it down for a day, or a few hours and focus on relationships. It will also pay dividends in the future as your children approach middle school because it builds trust.
I just came across your channel and I going through each video. It's so helpful amd useful and it's such a blessing I came across your channel. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for this video! Starting Homeschool Planet has helped sooo much this year because my boys don't have to wait on me to tell them what they have to do, it's all ready for them! You got me into that so thank you! Also, now that I have a 9th grader, how do I go about course descriptions for their transcript and what goes into them?!? Thank you! :-)
What a wonderful video! I'm a first year homeschooling mama and my oldest will be in 8th grade next year. He will be ready to take algebra I for high school credit. He is currently doing Teaching Textbooks for pre-algebra, but I feel like for high school math, I want something more rigorous. I would like more details on how you chose math courses for your daughter. I want to be sure that the path we take satisfies college entry requirements and adequately prepares him for college. Secondly, I am a former high school Spanish teacher. I'm new to homeschooling, but I feel confident that I can provide Spanish for my son and start Spanish I for high school credit in 8th grade as well. I guess my next question refers to transcripts. I suppose I'd start a high school transcript in 8th grade for these two courses. What is the best program you know of for transcripts, or did you do yours on your own. Thanks in advance! I am so thankful for TH-cam and women like you that are willing to share your journey.
I am using a book called The Ology for Sophie ( amzn.to/38Zw415 ) and we are reading the Bible with both girls. The Ology is going through a revision and will be out in October. I don't do a credit for Bible just because my high schooler doesn't need it.
I definitely struggle with trying to do everything at the beginning of each year. By Christmas I am burnt out and all of a sudden I'm a homeschooling minimalist lol!
The struggle is real!!
I’m homeschooling this year for the first year with my 4th grader and my 8th grader. It has been SO overwhelming and I have a teaching degree!!! I choose this!!! We have made some changes in our homeschool and things are a little bit better but because my kids came from a private Catholic school and have not been homeschooled their whole lives this is a big transition. I expected my 8th grader to be so much more independent than he really is. It has been a big eye opener for me. He was miserable at his old school so this is an improvement but we all have to be patient. This homeschooling gig is not going to be perfect right from the get go.
It is tough transitioning from school. Give yourself and your kids grace. And I do think that it takes kids time to be independent with homeschooling. Maybe since this is his first year, focus on 1-2 subjects and start there first (with becoming independent). I’ll tell you this too-sometimes it is harder to homeschool at first when you were a teacher and homeschooling is so different. Many of my friends went through that transition as former teachers. But in the end, it works out very well for them because they are creative and are able to adapt, and their children benefit from their knowledge as teachers. I’m praying that this year continues to improve for you every day. ❤️
I’m going into my second year homeschooling (first year for high school), and I’m really hoping for more independence this year. We’re going to do a few online video courses to help with that transition.
You always share the most relevant topics! As I've shared before, we have been homeschooling for 26 years, and I find myself always nodding in agreement with you.
Thank you! ❤️
I feel so at ease thinking about middle school next year because of all your tips and info on your channel! I can’t wait for that upcoming q&a!
❤️❤️❤️
Great advice! Saying “no” is freeing🥰. You’re doing a GREAT job! Would love to see a video on high school resources...curriculum/ outsource sources you’ve reviewed/ tried. Some ways we simplify: did a 4 day wk middle grades and lower...we all looked fwd to that 5th day off(it could be a Monday,Friday,etc). We don’t schedule the subjects...found it easier to start at lesson 1, next day lesson 2, then 3. We log what child did after it was completed. We listened to our child and she is doing ASL for her foreign language...everyone said Spanish and we said no,,she’s interested in this. We also invented a subject “fiber arts”...as elective. We are under an umbrella school which has been a huge help.
Great idea! I love that you let your child decide on ASL. Katie chose French also.
Lipping subjects does make homeschool more simple. Great tips!
Thanks! ❤️
Thank you for this video and all the great tips on simplifying. I totally agree with you about the relationship aspect. I have 2 adult children and a sixth grader.. Oh how I wish I had learned some of these lessons you spoke about with my older children. After they're grown, you realize just how fast the time goes by and how important those relationships are. I'm so thankful for God's Grace. We all make mistakes at times in parenting and/or homeschooling. Our children need us to extend Grace to them as well.... I would love to see you write a book or some informative pamphlets about homeschooling. You offer a great deal of wisdom. God Bless...I look forward to the Middle and HS Q&A
Thank you! ❤️ I’m so grateful for God’s grace too!
These are really helpful! You're such a blessing to us. One way for us to simplify our homeschool is to replace or skip altogether some of the activities on the book, for example, book asks the student/s to play a game, what I do is to figure out the goal of the activity, and try to achieve that same goal in some other way, which saves us time and resources as well. God bless you.
Yes! I do this too and didn't even think to include it. Thank you!
Wow! This is one of the best homeschooling videos I’ve ever seen!! Colleen, you touched on everything I needed to hear! Thank you! Because our daughter is a 9th grader and my only one homeschooling, she does attend a co-op one day a week for a few reasons. First, it allows her to be with her peers, and second, she can take her science courses there where they do labs and I don’t have to do them at home. Finally, she only takes the minimum amount of 3 courses to cut down on the urgency of having to get the work finished and turned in by a certain time and day, although that is good practice for college. The other thing we’re doing to simplify is her World Geography course. We use Abeka because it’s one semester, but we’re going to stretch it out over the entire year. So if we don’t get to it one day because of appts, illness, or just taking a day off, it’s ok.
As far as HS Q&A, credits and GPA are things I need to know about more extensively. Just for extras, I would love to see a video from You, on how to start a TH-cam channel. I’m thinking very seriously about it. God Bless! 🌺
Thank you! ❤️ I love how you have made the co-op work for you! We loved Abeka World Geography too and we also stretched it over the whole year. Thanks for the questions and video idea!
We also do TGATB HS Year 1, and she gets Geography from that as well.
I love that they do geography too! It is a great review (or primary geography curriculum for kids that don't have a credit already!
Oh man! This year I went too big and got the History and Science program with all of the bells and whistles for 1st grade. 😱 I got totally overwhelmed and cut way back to a looping schedule. We are still not doing a ton, but I feel fine with that because she is becoming a great reader and is enjoying books and being read to. ♥️ We may take two years to do the one year program. 🤷🏻♀️
I think spreading it over 2 years is a great idea if you like the program but want to move more slowly!
I know this is an older video, but TH-cam suggested it to me this morning, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!!
I’m glad it helped! 💕
These are such great ideas! I love the block schedule idea to me that sounds a lot more like public school that I remember so the classes weren't every day.
Thanks! ❤️
Great ideas! This is my 25th year homeschooling and I wish I’d known how to simplify better in the past. I’m very excited to move to a year around schedule next year or even this year if we can’t meet with our 1day a week Community. I committed to this year but my hearts already moved onto next. Our third daughter and her family is coming home from South Korea in 5 weeks and our oldest daughter and family will be moving in February. I’m ready to break free of commitments so that we have flexibility to spend time traveling and being with our older kids & our grandkids. 😁🙌🏻 Thanks for the video! Have suggestions on specific videos for year around scheduling. It’s one thing I haven’t done in the past 25 years.
I wish I had known how to simplify early on too! Great idea on the year round how to video.
1st time homeschool mom thank you for this information it very helpful. Be Blessed 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video. Some of these ideas had crossed my mind but I was glad to have the validation and reasoning to stick with my plan to simplify and beat the overwhelm for the next school year.
I hope it works for you!
Manipulatives...ugh! I remember when I was pregnant 5 years ago and was obsessively researching homeschooling, that word sounded strange to me. I had no idea what it meant. As soon as I knew, I right away also knew I won't like them; fussy is not my style. However, I felt I had to expose my daughter to it so I planned to not let my dislike "deprive" her. Well, I was VERY GLAD to find out that she doesn't like them either. The games that came with TGATB Pre-K Language Arts turned her off big time. I had to promise her after several lessons with different games that we will learn with the BOOK ONLY, which we just finished last week. I doubt we would have if I insisted on doing the games and hands-on stuff. She likes to separate toys/games from "homework" as she calls homeschool. She learned the basics before she was three by me counting toys/utensils, saying letter names on street/store signs, naming colors on her clothes, etc. so she's definitely been exposed to real-life manipulatives. She just doesn't want to be manipulated too much. 😄
(P.S. I found it a little challenging to hear you in this video because the background music almost drowns out your voice...or is it just me? 😄)
Sophie calls her schoolwork homework too! I agree about the music-it came though louder than in editing.
We started doing block scheduling so the kids could focus more on a few subjects at a time.
It’s great for that!
So many great tips Colleen!
Glad it was helpful! ❤️
You touched on something I think is my biggest struggle because I'm a single home schooling and working mama. I work overnight from home so I can be with my littles.
My older daughter has adhd and my youngest has hypotonia so it's a lot.
I'm wondering if you have any specific activities or curriculum of just anything regarding mindfulness that could help them (and me) get control of our emotions on those days that are just a bit of a struggle. They are 7 and 4.
For us, I have always tried to put relationships over academics. So instead of trying to push through on bad days, we would slow down and try to calm everyone down, even if we only got part of the school day done. That causes stress on you for sure because you still have to check off the boxes by the end of the year, but it will all get done. I think this is probably the key to homeschooling long term-just being able to put it down for a day, or a few hours and focus on relationships. It will also pay dividends in the future as your children approach middle school because it builds trust.
I just came across your channel and I going through each video. It's so helpful amd useful and it's such a blessing I came across your channel. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much and welcome! ❤️
Thanks for this video! Starting Homeschool Planet has helped sooo much this year because my boys don't have to wait on me to tell them what they have to do, it's all ready for them! You got me into that so thank you! Also, now that I have a 9th grader, how do I go about course descriptions for their transcript and what goes into them?!? Thank you! :-)
Thank you! I will include your question!
New subscriber! I am a mom of 2 and I homeschool!
Welcome! ❤️
Yes! Yes! Yes! To all of this!
Thank you! ❤️
It’s so timely! Thank you!!!
Thanks! ❤️
What a wonderful video! I'm a first year homeschooling mama and my oldest will be in 8th grade next year. He will be ready to take algebra I for high school credit. He is currently doing Teaching Textbooks for pre-algebra, but I feel like for high school math, I want something more rigorous. I would like more details on how you chose math courses for your daughter. I want to be sure that the path we take satisfies college entry requirements and adequately prepares him for college. Secondly, I am a former high school Spanish teacher. I'm new to homeschooling, but I feel confident that I can provide Spanish for my son and start Spanish I for high school credit in 8th grade as well. I guess my next question refers to transcripts. I suppose I'd start a high school transcript in 8th grade for these two courses. What is the best program you know of for transcripts, or did you do yours on your own. Thanks in advance! I am so thankful for TH-cam and women like you that are willing to share your journey.
Thank you! I will include your questions in the video.
Yes relationship above school work!
❤️❤️❤️
Year round homeschooling is definitely a game changer
We love it!
This is so practical! Thank you!
Thanks and you’re welcome!
What a wonderful video thank you m
Thank you! ❤️
What do you use for Bible?
I am using a book called The Ology for Sophie
( amzn.to/38Zw415 ) and we are reading the Bible with both girls. The Ology is going through a revision and will be out in October. I don't do a credit for Bible just because my high schooler doesn't need it.